Day 1

Kingswood, 2019

Kingswood. 

I can't believe I'm finally back. Back for good, at least. 

I just graduated from The university of Oxford in England and I got myself a first class honours degree in marketing and finance. 

No one made it to my graduation. Not my mom. Not my boyfriend, Jace. Not my three best friends, Karla, Hannah and Riana. Though I chose to understand. The university is really far from The US so they all had valid reasons and it would inconvenience them and tamper with their schedule. 

My mom said she would be busy the whole week, decorating her new home. She got married again. Karla said she couldn't afford asking for permission since her boss suffers from a condition called Asshollism, a condition many bosses suffer from. But still, Karla loves working there as a secretary despite her sick boss. Riana said she's studying for a test, she's taking a course in law and Hannah, well I don't know what she's upto, she said she'll be busy. Jace said he won't be in town since he was going to walk for a show in New York. Despite studying Banking and Finance, a course similar to mine, he still pursues his dream of modeling. Though his dad would kill him if he ever found out. 

They all had valid reasons, right? Well, except Hannah who just said she would be busy. But she will... I know she will... 

Talking of Hannah, I think I should call her and let her be the first to know I'm in town. She'll be so happy. She'll probably suggest we go clubbing. She loves drinking and having fun and letting loose in the neon lights, says it makes her forget how fucked up her life is, though it's really not that fucked up. 

My phone is going through on the other side... 

Hannah is not picking... 

I think of calling either Karla or Riana but then I remember that it's ten at night and Karla is obviously asleep. Riana is probably revising for a test. I decide not to bother either. Let it be a surprise. 

"We are here sir," I stop the taxi. "Thanks." 

I stand at the gate of the beautiful condo, staring at the beautiful modern structure with white walls and huge windows. I remember how excited Jace was when I said I will give him the cash to buy the condo. He could not believe it! The happy look on his face filled a part of me that no one ever could. It's like my happiness was dependent on his. I had to beg my uncle to cut the money from my inheritance since he is the trustee of my inheritance. My uncle, Terrence Clarkson, will control my inheritance until I reach twenty one, as the will states, and he will hand over every last penny that my dad left behind. I am turning twenty one in the next ten days. I will be a billionaire in the next ten days. Unbelievable! How time flies... 

I creep inside Jace's house, trying my level best not to make a single sound. I want to surprise him. I shut the door quietly and tiptoe upstairs. 

I can hear noises and laughs from a distance. I wonder who that could be. I tiptoe closer and faster this time and burst the door. 

Jace is sitting back on the bed, his legs crossed, naked. He looks up to see me and indeed, he is surprised. But not in a good way. In a bad way. He's not pleased to see me. Infact, he looks disappointed and frightened to see me. I hear the sound of the shower falling on tiles. Someone is in the shower. 

I look around and I can see pink lingerie lying on the floor. A pink handbag and a pink lacy dress. Whoever this is, she must love pink. Pink is officially my worst colour. 

I glance at him, waiting for him to say something, say that my eyes are playing tricks on me. Because I want to hear that. I just want to hear him explaining and I want to fall for that lie because Jace would never cheat on me... He would never cheat on me... 

But he doesn't say a word. He looks like he is experiencing a stroke. He is frozen to the bed. 

"Honey! Honey!" 

The sound in the shower stops and silence permeates the room. I can hear her footsteps and then the bathroom door swings open. 

"Hannah?" I squeal. 

No! It can't be... 

Hannah stands, frozen to the ground, shaking like a leaf on a windy day. She is shocked to see me. I see embarrassment and remorse on her ugly face. 

A sudden dread hits at the core at the realization that these two people I loved so much would dare hurt me so badly. I wish he did it with somebody I didn't know... A stranger... But Hannah? 

"Mila... You're... You're back!" Hannah fakes a wide grin. 

Rage quickens my blood at the sound of her voice. Fury rises through my mind and a fresh swell of rage trembles through me. I am shaking. I look down at my hands trembling and my body is shivering. All I can think of doing now is killing them. But, are they worth it? Are they worth me spending my whole life behind bars? 

No Princess! They are not worth it... Just leave... I hear my dad's voice whisper. 

My body is weak from all that I have seen and my legs are feeble, hence wobbling. Despite that, I find the strength to leave Jace's room, running. 

As I run, tears well up my eyes and I cry hysterically. A heavy feeling builds up in my stomach and I feel like I am dying. Betrayal sucks! I never knew it's this bad. I want it to stop. I want it to stop! God please make it stop! 

I hear Jace running towards me, calling my name. I don't know what makes me stop running and brush away my tears. I face him and look him in the eye. His chest is bare and he has a towel tied up around his groin. 

"Please don't go... Let's talk about this, about us... Please..." he pleads. 

I walk towards him, swallowing my tears. I can't cry in front of him. I look up at him and give him a hot slap across the cheek. 

I open my mouth to say something... Anything... Ask him why he cheated. Why he betrayed me with one of my best friends. Why he hurt me this bad. But something dawned in my mind: The best answer to my questions. 

He never loved me...

Because maybe... Just maybe if he did... He would never hurt me so bad with someone so close to me. 

With that realization, I grit my teeth hard to stop the tears from flowing and I turn my back to him and run quickly to the door. 

Damn it! It's raining outside. 

The night is dark, very cold and it's raining heavily. The Black trench coat I wore on top of a sexy lacy silk dress is now drenched in water. I don't know where to go from here. I don't know who to call first. Shit! I don't even have money to pay for a taxi. And even if I did, where the fuck would I go from here? My uncle's? He would be so happy. He's the only person I had told I'm coming home after the graduation. But no. It's late already and he's asleep. 

My mom? I try calling her but her phone is off. I try calling Karla but she doesn't pick up. I give my last shot to Riana whose phone is off. 

I hurl my phone to the wet floor and step on it angrily as I watch the screen break into pieces. A few passersby, holding umbrellas look at me like I'm mad. 

"I'm not mad!" I scream at one pregnant woman who stares at me. "Jace cheated on me with Hannah... Can you imagine?" 

She stares at me like I am crazy, shakes her head and walks away. 

I start shivering due to the cold, going to God knows where. My eyes are tired of crying. The only thing I feel now is bitterness. A lot of bitterness mixed with anger. And, why the fuck does it have to rain now? Haven't I been through enough mentally? Now I am going through pain physically too? God just take me already.... 

There is a loud rumbling of thunder as the rains continue to pour heavily. God doesn't look like he'll stop these rains soon. My ebony long hair is wet. My skin is wet. My woolen boots have soaked water, I decide to take them off and walk barefoot. My whole body is in shivers and it's tremendously cold. So cold that my teeth are chattering. 

Just when I thought I have been through enough for one night, a black Lexus car splashes water on me as it speeds off, making me drip in water. 

"Fuck you!" I cry out. 

But the driver has already sped off. Screaming at him is pointless but it's the only thing I can do right now. 

"Having a bad night, huh," I hear a deep voice say as I walk beside the road. 

I turn to glare at him. "Mind your own business." 

I notice that he is slowing down his Mercedes car, which looks brand new from its sheen. He rolls down the window and smiles at me. 

I glare at him, roll my eyes and walk even faster. I hope he stops disturbing me and lets me be. There's no way I am being friendly to a stranger, especially not one with a Mercedes Benz. He might be a serial killer who kills for money. And, why the hell did he have to stop his car? He's too nosy for a man.

"You don't want a ride?" he asks as I walk faster.

I don't turn to look at him. I just choose to snob him and walk faster.

"I could help you out you know. You don't look too good. You look like you're in bad need of a ride and a good bath," the guy is still persistent.

A good bath?

I scowl at him as i scamper. I accidentally trip then stumble to the rough, wet ground. I have hurt my knee. Why? Why? Why me? 

Just as I am sobbing quietly on the ground, I feel a coat being covered around my body then I am taken up by huge muscular warm arms. He smells so good. So clean. So rich. An expensive cologne it must be... 

It's the persistent guy in the Mercedes Benz.

He's holding me like a baby in the rain. I swear if this scene was a movie, it would be those Indian soap operas. 

"Put me down!" I bark, trying to fight him but he's too strong for me. 

He doesn't respond. He just puts me at the backseat of his car then quickly locks the car. 

I glare at him. "Let me out or else I will scream!" 

He is sitting at the driver's seat. He turns his head to glance at me. 

"Scream." 

I let out a scream. A loud scream. The guy puts on his headphones and starts the engine. I try banging the doors and windows and I am actually starting to get frightened and restless. The guy is busy listening to his headphones when I angrily take them off. 

"Why are you doing this?" I scold. 

"What? Helping you? Because I am a good person," he sighs. "listen, princess, I am just helping you out here because you look like a mess." 

Did he just call me princess? My dad is the only one that used to call me that.

"No! I don't look like a mess," I argue.

"says the girl walking barefoot, her whole body dripping in the rain," he says sarcastically. 

"I never said I needed your help," I state.

All this while, he's driving carefully, catching a glimpse of me from the backseat from time to time. I am still frightened by this strange guy.

"You just kidnapped me!" 

He glances at me and grins.

"Legally, yes."

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